Typewriting machine



May 27. 1924- L. A. WERNERY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed OC\.. 2].. 1921 2 Sheets-Shept 1 A fforn y -May 27, 1924.

L. A. WERNERY TYPEWRITING MACHINE 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21.

Jnven for Af/vrne Patented May 27, 1924,

umrso sures PATENT: ormes.

LESTER A. WERNER Y, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING- MACHINE.

Application f led October 21, 1921. Serial No. 509,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lns'rnn A. VVERNERY, a citizen ot the United States, residing in Brooklyn Borough, in the county of Kings,

papenguide, to permit of correct and easy insertion of considerable thicknesses of paper, or of paper with clasps and the like attached thereto; and also relates to an improved means for throwing the usual feed or pressure-rolls off the platen preliminary" to insertion oi? the work-sheets.

An object ofthe invention is the provision of means whereby the platen may be displaced substantially vertically, and without appreciable rotary movement, from its normal to its sheet-insertingposition; thus maintaining the platen as a'who'le at all times in substantially thesame position with respect to the operator, and thus causing the printing line of the vplaten, when the latter is in sheet-inserting position, to present itself in practically its true position at the central front part of the platen, so that the work-sheets may be set and adjusted with ease and certainty with respect to the printing line, as it the platen had not been dis placed z--a1l as distinguished from those 'de vices of the prior art in which the platen. in the displacing operation has been thrown back from its normal position, and the printing line turned from the direct line of vision of the operator.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby in a single, or at least in a practically continuous, operation, the feed or pressure-rolls may be thrown off the platen, and the platen itself displaced to sheet-inserting position. Heretofore, the rolls have been thrown off by one lever or operation, and the platen displaced by an entirely different operation; the operator being required to IHOVG his hand from one lever to another, and often being required to use both hands in effecting the two separate operations. means of the present invention the two operations may be effected quicker and with less trouble than hereto-fore.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan View 0% a platencarriage and assembled parts thereon embodying the features of the present inven'- tion. v

Figure 2 is a perspective view, looking down from the left, showing certain of the parts at the right-hand end of the platen in their relation to the platen.

Figure 3 is a view in right-hand elevation, showing the normal or printing position of the parts.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3,

except that the first step of the operation of moving the parts to 's heert-inserting position has been effected; to wit, the throw-oil oi the feed or pressurerol ls.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figures 3 and 4, except that the parts are all in sheetinserting position.

Referring to the drawings, the platen is shown as having bosses 2 at the ends thereof, fixed as by means of pins 3 to a platen-- shaft l. The platen-shaft 4 at either end,

has bearing in, and is supported by, one arm 5 of an inverted V-shaped rocker, theother arm 6 of which rocker is pivotd at? to the platen-fran1e 8; so that, as hereinafter poi nted out, the platen may have an up-and dow n movement around the pivot '7 on an effective radius or arm which is the straight line between the pivot 7 and the axis 4 of the platen.

Coaxially mounted on the platen-frame '8, to turn therein, one on either side of the .frame, are stub shatts 9, each havingsecured thereto a hand-wheel 10 for rotating the same. In normal or printing position of the platen, the shafts 9 are coaxial with the platen shaft 4. Fast to the lett hand shaft 9 is a line-space ratchet-wheel :11, adapted to be engaged and turned by a pawl 12 on a slide 13, which has reciprocat'ory movement on the plateirfranieg being held in and returned to normal position by av spring '(not shown) and being thrown rearward in the line spacing operation by a bell-crank hand-lever 14, pivoted at 15 to the platenframe, and adapted to engage an otiset 16 on the slide 13; all of which line-teed mecha nism is of the well-known Underwood typewriter structure.

For line-feeding the platen from the abovedescribed line-space mechanism, Whether the platen be in normal or sheet-inserting position, the following mechanism is employed. Fast to each of the shafts 9 is a pinion 17. Bosses 18, on which the pinions 17 are carried, are secured to the shafts 9 by means of pins '19. Loose on each of the rocker pit'ot-pins 7 are two small pinions 20 and 21. Each pair of pinions 20 and 21 is fast on a sleeve 22 loose on the pins '7, so that the pinions 20 and 21 turn as a unit. The arm 6 of the corresponding rocker lies between the pinions 20 and 21, and has direct bearing on the sleeve 22. The pins 7 are shown as threaded, as at 2, into bosses 24 on the platen-carriage. Each of the pinions 17 on the shafts S) meshes with one of the pinions :20 on the pins or stub-shafts 7. On bosses 25, pinned as at 26 to the platen shatt 4, are pinions 27, one at each end of the platen-shaft. Each of the pinions 2T meshes with one of the pinions 21 on the pins or stub-shafts 7 lVith the parts in normal position. linespacing is etl'ected by operation of the line space lever 14 in the usual manner. The line-space ratchet-wheel 11, however, instead of turning the platen directly, as it fast to the platen-shaft 4, turns the left-hand stub shaft 9, causing the left-hand pinion 17 to be rotated; and, through the medium of the smaller pinions 20 and 21, driving the left hand pinion 27, which is fast to the platen-shaft, thereby causing the platen to be turned according to the extent of move.- ment of the line-space ratchet-wheel 11. Since the right-hand gear 27 is fast to the platen-shaft, the right-halal gears 20. .21 and 17 receive a corresponding line-space movement.

hen the parts are thrown to sheet-inserting position, not only are the front pressure-rolls 2S and rear pressurea'olls 21) thrown to ino 'icrative position, but the platen is itself lifted from its Figure I} to its Figure 5 position, to provide ample space between the platen and the paper-shelf 3t) for the insertion of any desired thickness of sheets, fasteners and the like, The pressurerolls 2S and 29 are thrown off in the manner common to Underwood typewriting machines: that is to say, these rolls are carried by the arms 31 and 32, respectively, of bellcranks which are pivoted on a shaft 33 below the platen. Set between the other arms 34 and 35 of these bell cranks is a rotary shaft 36, having flats against which the arms 34 and 35 rest when the rolls are in normal position (see Figure but which are turned from Figure 3 to Figure 4 position to spread the arms 34 and 35, thereby rocking down the arms 31 and 32 to throw 011 the rolls when the shaft 36 is turned by an arm 37 thereon, operated by a link 38. The link 38 connects to, and is ordinarily operated by, an arm 39 upon a shaft 40, in turn operated by a finger-piece or arm 40 also on the shaft 40.

In the present invention, the arm 39 on the shaft 40 is actuated, for the throw-oil operation, by means of a lever 41, one end of which is slotted at 42 to engage the pin 44, by means of which the link 38 is connected to the arm 39. The other end of the lever 41 carries a finger-piece 45 for operating the same. The lever 41, near the centre thereof, has a boss 46, through which passes a screw 47 (see Fi ure 1), to fix the same to the reduced rig t-hand end of a shaft 48, which is supported by, and is adapted to turn in, hearings in the rockers 56. The lever 41 is therefore, in effect, pivoted at 48, so that a downward, rearward thrust upon the handle 45 will move the parts from Figure 3 to Figure 4 osition, this movement being limited by the pin 44 on the arm 39 engaging the rear end of the slot 42, as shown in Figure 4. The lever 41 in moving from Figure 3 to Fi are 4 position causes the arm 39 to be lifte as indicated, to throw off the pressure-rolls 28 and 29, in the usual manner. The movement of. the lever 38 thus far is a pivotal movement.

Fast to the right-hand platen-frame-member is a hook-shaped device 49, the hook of which is formed by an arcuate slot 50, adapted to receive a pin 51 on the lever 41; and in which slot 50 the pin 51 travels from Figure 3 to Figure 4 position. Until the pin 51 is clear of the slot 50, no rearward or translatory movement of the lever 41 is permissible. 'hen the pin 51 is once clear of the slot 50, however, the lever 41 may be thrust rearward as a unit from Figure 4 to Figure 5 position; because the rocker 5-4). on which the lever 41 is carried, is itself pivotally mounted on the platen-frame at '4'. On arrival of the parts in the Figure 4 position, therefore, a rearward bodily thrust of the lever 41 may be effected, causing the member 5-6 to be rocked around its axis 7: and, in so rocking, to lift the platen from Figure 4 to Figure 5 position. During this lifting of the laten, the pinions :20 remain in mesh with the pinions 17, and the pinions 21 in mesh with the pinions 27; the rockers 5-6 being free to turn independently of the sleeves 22, on which the pinions :20 and 21 are mounted. and the platen itself and the pinions 27, which are fast thereto, also being free to turn with the platen-shaft 4. On arrival, therefore, of the parts in Figure 5 position, the line-spacing connections to the linespace ratchet-wheel 11 are the same as before; and, upon operation of the line-space agaeagoea lever 14 in sheet-inserting position, the platen will be-given any desiredline-spacefeed.

As before-noted,the true arm, upon which the platen is lifted, is'defined by asubstantially liorizontalline intersecting the axis 4 of the platen and the axis :7 around which the rockers 5 6 turn. In theFiguresfl and 4 position ofthis-arm4.7, it is shown as inclined at a slight angle forwardly and downwardly to :the horizontal, whereas, *in theFigure 5 position, it isshown as inclined'slightly upwardly and forwardly. In the mean of the upper andlower positions of the arm 4'47, it is horizontal. 'Themovement ofthe platen is substantiallya'vertical movement. As shownin the' drawingsgthe axis of the platei1 falls in the same vertical plane in the upper and 'lowerlpositions of the'platen; and, in the meaniposition of'the latter, is only one sixty-fourth of 'an inch forwardof that plane. In fact, themoveinent ofthe platen is so nearly vertical,'as the parts are shown in the drawings, that the rotation of the platen in moving from one position to the other, caused by the intermeshment of the gears 27 with the gears 21, isnot of anyconsequence to the operator. The p1'i1'iilingline is thus maintained at all times in substantially its correct position at the front centre of the platen.

Variations maybe resorted to within th scope of the invention, and portions of the iniprovenients may be usedwithout others. .I-l'aving thusdescribed my invention, I claim: I

1. In a typewriting'machine, the combination of aplaten-frame, a paper guide on said frame,-arotary platen displaceable up and down in said frame with respect to the paper-guide between a printing position and a i'ioinprinting sheet-inserting position, means arranged to effect such platen-disiilacement in. any rotative position of "the platen without substantially rotating the platen, line-spacing mechanism including a non-displaceable ratchet wheel, and means operatively connecting said ratchet-wheel and the platen in all positions of the. pl aten 9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of Va plateinframe, a rotary platend ispl-aceable up andfdown in said frame, a pz iper-guide on said frame extending downwardly and forwardly to the rear of the platen and thence "partway around the platen, inconformity thereto-to the front thereof, means for limiting the extent of the platen-displacing-movement to arrest the platen always in a *uniform'fiposition with the line of writingin view of the operator,

and platen-displacingmeans controlling the platen to'inove substantially along the bisector of the arc of the portion of the paperguide that conforms to thetpl aten, to-separate the platen, from thepaper-guide to a substantial extent i at 5 both the front and rear in said limited lllOVGlHBllt to permit a :thick work-pack to be inserted between the'platen and' the paper-guide.

3. In a typewritingmachine, the combination of aiplaten frame, a" rotaryplaten-movable'up and down=in said frame, a paperguide on the frame extending downwardly and -'forwardly to the rear of the platen and thence partway around the platen, in conformity thereto, tO lllQ front thereof, and a platendisplacing carrier in which the axis oftlie platen is'mounted, said carrier being pivoted :to the platen-frame substantially horizontally to the rear of the platen-axis, the arrangement being such that the platen isdisplaced substantially along the bisector of the arcuate portion of the paper-guide when moved by the carrier and thereby separated substantially equally from the paper-guideat the front and rear for sheetinsertion.

4. In-atypewritin machine, the combinationof a platen-frame, a rotary platen, a paper-guide on the frame, platen-displacing means for separating the platen from the paper-guide comprising a handle, and locking meansfor normally retaining the platen in writing position, said handle being movable in one direction to unlock the platen and in another direction to displace the platen 5. In a typewriting machine,the combination of a platen-frame, a paper-guide on said frame,"a rotary'pla-ten movable up and down in its frame with respect to the paperguideto'cause'the axis of the platen to be displaced betweentwo positions in a vertical plane, one of whichspositions is thenormal or printingposition of the platen and the other of whichzpositions is a sheet-inserting pos1tion,- means for effecting such displace ment of the platen, and line-spacingmechanism 1n operative connection with the platen in both positions of the latter, said 1incspacing mechanism comprising a shaft in ,fixedposition on the platen frame, a ratchetwheel andwa gear on said shaft, a gear'fast to the platen,=and gearing from said gear onthe line-space shaft tosaid gear on the platen. g

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen-frame, a paper-guide on saidframe; a rotary platen movable up and downin its frame with'respect to-thepaperguide/ to cause the axis of the platen to be displaced between two positions in a vertical plane, one of whichpositionsis the normal Oldlbl'lllillllflRPOSltlOll of the platen and the other of whichpositions is a sheet-inserting position, a earrien'for theplaten pivoted at the rear thereof "to the f platen-frame, means for :roeking the carrier to effect such displacennint. of the platen, and l line spacing n'ieehanism in operative connection with the platen in both positions of the latter, said line-spacing mechanism comprising a shaft in fixed position on the platen-frame, a ratchet-wheel and gear on said shaft, a gear fast to the. platen, and gearing on the axis of the carrier comtecting the gear on the line-space shaft to the gear on the platen.

T. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen-frame, a rotary platen, feedrolls and a paper-guide on said frame, means for throwing the teed-rolls oti' the platen, means for displacing the platen from the paper-guide, and a device connected to both the feed-roll throw-otf means and the platendisplacing means for operating the same, said last-mentioned device having a pivotal movement to throw ofi' the feed-rolls and another movement to displace the platen.

S. In a tvpewriting machine, the combination of a platen-frame, a rotary platen, feedrolls and a paper-guide on said frame, means for throwing the feed-rolls (iii the platen, means for displacing the platen from the paper-guide, and a device connected to both the feed-roll throw-oil means and the platendisplacing means for operating the same, said last-mentioned device having a pivotal movement to throw otl' the teed-rolls and a subsequent translatory movement to lisplace the platen.

9. .In a typewriting machine. the combination oi a platen-frame, a rotary platen, feed-rolls and a paper-guide on said frame, means for throwing the teed-rolls oti' the platen, means tor displacing the platen from the paper-guide, a device connected to both the feed-roll throw-otl' means and the platendisplacing means for operating the same, said last-mentioned device having a pivotal movement to throw otl' the feed-rolls and a subsequent translatory movement to displace the platen, and a lock for preventing the translatorv movement of said device until its aforesaid pivotal movement has been effected.

10. in a tvpewriting machine, the combi nation of a plttltlbflillltt, a rotary platen, teed-rolls and a pa 'ier-guide on said frame, means for throwing the feed-rolls otl' the platen. means for displacing the platen from the paper-guide, a common operating lever connected to the feed-roll throw-otf means and to the platen-displacing means, and means to mechanically control the order of operation of the feed-roll throw-oil means and the platen-displacing means by the lever.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen-frame, a rotary platen, feed-rolls and a paper-guide on said frame, means for throwing the feed-rolls off the platen, means for displacing the platen from the paper-guide, a handle for operating the feed-roll throw-01f means and the platen-displacing means, and a cam controlling the operation of said handle to compel the platen to remain in normal position until the feedroll throw-off movement has been completed.

1.2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a laten-frame, a mtar platen, teed-rolls and a paper-guide on said frame, means for throwing the food-rolls off the platen, means for displacing the platen from the paper-guide, and means for controlling the operation of said feed-roll throw-o means and said platen-dis lacing means, arranged to prevent the isplacing of the platen prior to the throw otf of the feed-rolls and also to prevent the return of the feedrolls to normal position while the platen is in a displaced position.

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a laten-frame, a rotary platen, feed-rolls an a paper-guide on said frame, means for throwing the feed-rolls oil the platen, means for displacing the laten from the paper-guide, a lever to whic said feedroll throw-oil means and said platen-displacing means are connected, said lever having a pivotal movement to throw otf the feed-rolls and a translatory movement to displace the platen, a tooth on said lever, and a stop eooperating with said tooth to prevent translatory movement of the lever until the pivotal movement thereof shall have caused the tooth to clear the stop.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen-frame, feed-rolls, a papergnide and a rocker in said frame, a platen on said rocker to be displaced thereby between a normal position and a sheet-inserting position, a lever pivoted to said rocker, and means connected to said lever with provision for lostv motion for throwing the feed-rolls oti the platen; whereby, when said lever is swung on its pivot, the feed-rolls are thrown ott'. and, when the lever is given a translatory movement, said rocker is actuated to displace the platen.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen-frame, feed-rolls, a paperguide and a rocker on said frame, a platen on said rocker to be displaced thereby between a normal position and a sheet-inserting position, a lever pivoted to said rocker, means connected to said lever with provision for lost motion for throwing the feed-rolls off the platen; wherebv, when said lever is swung on its pivot, the feed-rolls are thrown oil, and, when the lever is given a translatory movement, said rocker is actuated to displace the platen, and line-spacing mechanism for the platen in operative connection therewith in both normal and sheet-inserting positions thereof, said line-spacin mechanism comprising a line-space sha t in fixed osition on the platen-frame, a line-space ratc et and gear on said shaft, a gear fast to the platen, and gears on the pivot of said rocker connecting the gear on the line-space shaft with the gear on the platen.

16. In a typewriting machine, a platenframe, a platen displaceable in said frame, platen-displacing means, feed-rolls co-operating with the platen, means for throwing oil the feed-rolls, a handle pivoted on the platen-displacing means, and a lost-motion connection between the handle and the feedroll throw-01f means, said handle being movable at first relatively to the platen-displac- 1 ing means to throw off the feed-rolls and then relatively to the feed-roll throw-ofi means by reason of the lost-motion connection to displace the platen, said lost-motion connection limiting the movement of the platen-displacing means and thereby deterl5 

